Wednesday, 5 October 2016

#plaque366 #BorisKarloff

A London commemorative plaque for every day in 2016. The plaques are selected from all walks of life, and all points of the London compass – and I'm taking requests too!DROP ME A LINE or leave a comment below if you'd like to nominate a plaque for inclusion in the series

Blue Plaque Halloween Special #1

Commemorating: Frankenstein’s Monster, The Mummy & The Body Snatcher

Forest Hill Road, SE22

Okay, I admit it. This Blue Plaque isn’t really dedicated to the trio of horrors listed above… but it does commemorate a genuine London movie legend. William Henry Pratt (born in Camberwell, raised in Enfield) left England in 1909 for North America where, under the stage name of Boris Karloff, he embarked upon a life on the stage. Supplementing his initially sporadic acting career with periods of manual labour, it was not until 1931 and his iconic portrayal of The Monster in James Whale’s inaugural “talkie” version of Frankenstein that he became a star. In addition to his famous horror roles – as The Mummy and in The Body Snatcher – Karloff enjoyed a long and varied stage career, starring in the works of Jean Annouilh, J.M Barrie and J.B Priestly on Broadway. His ghost is said to haunt Hollywood & Vine.

A
London Walk costs £10 – £8 concession. To join a London Walk, simply meet your
guide at the designated tube station at the appointed time. Details of all
London Walks can be found at www.walks.com.